There’s something oddly poetic about a Sacco built on the promise of Life. Aspire. Destiny. walking away from the national stage with not one, not two, but four awards. Yet that is exactly what happened when Qona DT Sacco took its place among Kenya’s finest cooperatives at this year’s National Ushirika Day celebrations, proving once again that when you back ambitious visionaries, the whole community rises with them.
The Sacco was recognized and honoured with four National Ushirika Day awards: 1st Best DT Sacco in Deposits Management, 1st Most Efficient DT Sacco, 2nd Best Performing DT Sacco, and 2nd Best DT Sacco in Credit Management, all under the Employer-Based Saccos category for institutions with total assets between Ksh 10 billion and Ksh 30 billion.
Four categories. Four trophies. One unmistakable message: Qona is not just participating in the cooperative movement, it is leading it.
The wins were unveiled at a Ushirika Gala Dinner held at Safari Park Hotel, an evening graced by Cooperatives and MSMEs Cabinet Secretary Hon. FCPA Wycliffe Oparanya and Cooperatives Principal Secretary Patrick Kilemi.
The Ushirika Awards exist to celebrate the cooperatives transforming livelihoods, recognising and awarding them on the biggest stage the sector has. This year’s celebrations marked the 104th International Day of Cooperatives under the theme “Cooperatives for a Peaceful World,” a fitting backdrop for a Sacco whose mission has always been about building, not just banking.
For Qona, this recognition is a reflection of a story that began in 2021, when the Sacco set out to carve a niche as a digital pioneer crafting community-based financial solutions. Since then, Qona has become something more than a financial institution; it has become a sanctuary for dreamers, creators, and visionaries, a place where the impossible is simply a challenge waiting for a solution.
And this shows up in its fianancial numbers. Qona’s total assets have surged to KSh 14.81 billion last year, and the Sacco remains fully compliant with all SASRA prudential requirements, standing firm as a Tier 1 regulated institution members can trust with their futures. It shows up, too, in the products members reach for every day. The Sacco’s digital credit flagship, the KONA loan, recently had its limit raised to KSh 500,000, giving members even more room to dream bigger.
“Our tailored business loans are pathways to empowerment,” says Ms. Faith Njue, the Society Chairperson. “It is enabling members to dream bigger, achieve more, and create a lasting impact on the economy.” That ripple effect is visible across sectors, as Qona-funded ventures stimulate growth and resilience well beyond the Sacco’s own books.
None of this would be possible without total digitalization. With mobile loans now a primary delivery channel, members can access funds instantly for travel, personal projects, or emergencies, without ever queuing at a banking hall. Through the QonaPay App and the iConnect portal, a Qona member in Nairobi, Eldoret, or halfway across the world can manage their financial future from the palm of their hand. Headquartered at Goodman Tower, with a branch at Jambo Care Centre and a service centre at the Eldoret Care Centre, Qona’s footprint may be physical, but its reach is genuinely global.
This year’s four Ushirika Day awards do not stand alone. They join a growing trophy cabinet that already includes recognition as Best Branded Sacco of the Year at the Top Stars Brand Awards and 2nd Runner-Up in the Sacco category at the Financial Reporting (FiRe) Awards 2025, a season of accolades that mirrors a Sacco firing on every cylinder: efficient, well-branded, well-governed, and unmistakably member-first.
As Qona looks to the horizon, the destination remains the same one etched into its vision: to build a strong, influential community of ambitious visionaries who have an impact in the world. Every award, every KONA loan disbursed, every shilling deposited safely under SASRA’s watch, is a small step toward that destination.
Four awards. One night at Safari Park. A theme of peace fitting a Sacco built on trust. For Qona DT Sacco, this is simply proof of what happens when you empower the ambitious, the entire community thrives.
And behind every award lies a set of values Qona holds close: Authenticity, staying true to its roots. Disruption, challenging the status quo. Presence, staying attentive to members’ needs. Progression, always striving for improvement. Not words on a wall but the engine behind awards and a community dreaming bigger, together.
